The news broke on TikTok, sending thousands of users across the country into a panic: Panera Bread will be removing a large chunk of their delicious menu items. 

 TikTok content creator @snachwithzach brought the big change to attention in a recently uploaded video on August 29th, listing off all the menu items that Panera would supposedly be removing. The user mentioned it was rumored that the restaurant would be removing around 50 items from their menu. This  pretty substantial number amounts to about half the menu!

 Regular customers were upset to hear that menu items such as the Napa Almond Chicken Sandwich and the Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese would be leaving shortly. Other notable items include the Flatbread pizzas, all kids menu items, and many of their bakery items.

 The comment section of this video was filled with anger and shock. One user wrote, “Are they trying to go out of business?” An angered customer also stated,, “At this point, what is LEFT on their menus? They (made) such a cut during the 2020s that the place is unrecognizable.” Another comment exclaimed, “I work at Panera. (I) can confirm my managers have been whispering about this for a while.”

 So it’s settled then? Everyone seems to believe the news, so it must be true. Well it turns out that there is  light at the end of this dark fast-food tunnel.. 

 There is one crucial piece of information that Zach forgot to mention in his video, potentially saving thousands of customers from near-heart palpitations. An article released September 1 on Today.com confirmed that the rumored menu cuts were true,“but only in a very small percentage of locations.”

 The article clarified that the restaurant chain is testing a “simplified menu” at some stores, yet social media made it out to be complete destruction. Thankfully, Panera’s menu change will only be affecting 3% of the locations (out of how many?), and even in those locations, the test is not automatically permanent. .

 Nobody has specified the locations that the test would be taking place, but as of right now, it doesn’t look like our Voorhees location will be affected anytime soon. It looks like our local Panera-lovers will be safe after all!